VISUAL ART AND DESIGN

This quarter saw the closure of Tao Sublime: the art of Tony Smibert in the main gallery at the Art Gallery at Royal Park to make way for the co-curated exhibition Jimmy Possum: an unbroken tradition.

Alongside the exhibition, a publication was printed to share insight to the makers and artists on display.

This exhibition opened in in late November and features over 50 pieces of furniture alongside the story of Australia’s foremost vernacular furniture making tradition.

QVMAG co-curated the exhibition with Dr. Mike Epworth and serves as example and exemplar of how things were and how they might be again.

In December the institution welcomed another vibrant year of ArtRage. ArtRage is an annual initiative of QVMAG and showcases works from student artists in Year 11 and 12 from around the state. In 2022, more than 100 student artists were selected to be featured within the exhibition. This period also marked the opening of an emotionally resonant commission from artist Fiona Hall titled A Tarkine Thine: A log for our Forsaken Forest.

There are no primary sources documenting this mysterious artisan, however circumstantial evidence suggests he could have been an ex-convict, equally he may have been a refugee from the Irish famine, or a First Nations man from the mainland.

6

Their chairs were made for family and friends and reflect the dimensions of who they were intended for, as the makers enjoyed the ultimate creative freedom of making for loved ones rather than for profit.

6